# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1899_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

36 Proceedings of the 24th General, or

A further danger of entering into an ungodly compromise, and so
falling away from God's word, threatens the church — especially as a
church in this country — from the lodges and the various societies
that hold principles at odds with Scripture. The church is in danger
of letting its judgment of these associations, and its stance toward
them, be determined not by God's word but by the fact that these
associations appear gigantic and immensely powerful — stronger than
the papacy and science — so large and so strong that they seem almost
certain to crush the church if it does not enter into a compromise.
Before these lodges and societies, pretty much everything in this
country that calls itself church has laid down its arms. Do we want
to do the same? Do we too want to stop holding to God's word in this
matter — that is, to stop warning our Christians against associations
that are sinful according to God's word, and stop urging withdrawal
from such associations where they have already been joined? No, God
forbid! Just as little as the church lays down its arms before the
papacy, so-called science, and unionism, just as little does it do
so before the lodge system, insofar as it conflicts with God's word.
The church has no right to keep silent about God's word. The church
is in the world not to keep silent about the word, but to confess it.
And the church does not perish by this; rather, it is precisely by
this that it is preserved. For in doing so it remains standing on its
foundation, the word of God, and is sustained by him who says, "Take
heart; I have overcome the world."

At this point, however, a few reminders are in order. First: we must,
as the true church of God has always done, distinguish between
doctrine and life. Doctrine, Luther insists, must be wholly pure and
select; with life it does not go quite so perfectly. And that is in
keeping with God's word. We find not a single passage in Scripture
that permits the church to keep silent with the word in the face of
some rising error or ungodliness. But Scripture does, in hundreds of
passages, urge us to be patient with the failings in the lives of
Christians, not to cast off the weak but to instruct, rebuke, and
admonish them. Now, in most cases it stands thus: that our Christians
have joined sinful societies out of some weakness in their lives.
For the most part they have no wish to reject God's word and right
doctrine, but have been entangled in the lodge system through concern
for their earthly livelihood. Here, then, it is a matter, on the one
hand, of keeping doctrine concerning faith and life pure; on the
other hand, of not casting off the weak, but healing and strengthening
them. With this we have already arrived at the second necessary
reminder. We must, that is, keep clearly in mind what it actually
means to say, "The church takes its stand unconditionally on God's
word," or "the church asserts God's word under all circumstances."
That does not simply mean that the